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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Chicago- Then and Now

When I came back from Chicago and hopped on the scale, I was duly horrified. I guess because I felt like I had made some significant improvements this time as compared to about the same time last year.

Last year: Ordered hot chocolate every morning for our free beverage then ordered it all over town.This year: Ordered hot tea every morning and only ordered hot chocolate 3x at places we knew was worth it.

Last year: Logged just over 25 miles walking.This year: Logged almost 32 miles walking even walking 23 blocks to the same place 2 days in a row.

Last year: Ordered what I wanted, when I wanted even if I wasn't hungry with no thought about consequences.This year: Went batshit with cupcakes but other places I ordered egg whites, ate more veggies (ugh, what they say about asparagus and your wee is so true and I ate it 3x!), ordered smalls and split more.

Last year: Wearing a size 26/28 top and 26 pants.This year: Wearing a size 18/20 tops and 24 pants. (Can you tell where I lose my weight?)

Last year: Gained a temporary 11 lbs.This year: Gained a temporary 9 lbs. (Still pretty ticked at that given how beat up my body was after the walking but buttercream is evil. Delicious, sweet evil.)

As I felt myself slipping into a massive funk over how far I've got to go to get back to my 200 lbs lost moniker and I had it taken down several times because I felt I no longer "earned" it so it shouldn't be up there. But I did earn it and if God forbid 3 weeks from now I'm not back there, I'll take it down because by then it'll feel like a lie. But I know much of this is temporary and freaking out will get me nowhere. Everyday is a new day and it has felt amazing getting back to a routine where *I* have control over what goes into my food.

As noted with the recap blog, there will be no high cal day this weekend because we had enough to last a month in those 5 days but it doesn't mean it won't still be good. I make a mean chicken el paso that I can easily fit into our calories and feel like we're cheating when we're not. It's the Mr's favorite meal so I'll have fun being creative with that and I'm so glad to have fruit and veggies in the house. You don't realize how much you miss eating healthy until you're not. I won't miss the bloat or feeling that food coma on the wrong things.

But I am proud for the calories I burned while there even if they didn't make a dent in balancing things out. 11,510 calories burned in the 4 days I tracked. Thank God for my heart rate monitor so I'm not blindly trying to figure out what I burn. I felt every calorie burned too and I didn't even mind the blisters, screaming quads and shin splints. Okay, maybe a little.

But I'm making peace with all of this because I can see the improvements I made in lieu of focusing on the negatives of it all. I owe that to a special friend of ours but you'll hear about him tomorrow.

Do you focus on what you could've done better on a vacation or what you did right if you see a gain from it?

13 comments:

It was quite a trip and we did do a great job. The only improvement we could have possibly made was on the cupcakes but they were all good and we know we'll drop the weight quickly so it's not a big deal in the long run. There is no point to getting fit if you can't still go out and enjoy yourself from time to time and I know I had a blast. We never could have done all that walking around in our previous lives and so we deserve to enjoy it and take it all in every now and then. I am just glad we bounced right back into the good routine and I know it will be no time at all before that scale is back where it belongs!

Yeah for you for getting right back at it! I am so glad you had a great trip and made some good choices. I definitely focus on the positive on vacation and allow myself some wiggle room. Otherwise, it's not a vacation! Keep up the good work!

I do think that is the secret to not regaining all the weight--just get right back at it--and not continue with the bad eating. I have a hard time with that. I cheat once and then the next time it's a little easier to "be bad." But I know my behavior has improved, like yours in comparing last year's Chicago trip to this year's. Small changes here and there surely add up to BIG changes, right?

I could have written this except for I barely exercised. I was up 10 pounds over the last 3 weeks but am working hard to get it back off. You are right, it will come off quick. I am leaving my 70 pound marker up but it sure will feel good to change it to 80 which is my secret goal to hit by March 10, my spark anniversary if 2 years. Ya gotta enjoy life and it sounds like you did. It dies feel good to be eating normally again doesn't it?

It's a balancing act, isn't it? There has to be room for occasional indulgences (and maybe even over-indulging) without letting things slip back to where they were before. It sounds like you are doing that; I have no doubt the pounds will drop off quickly enough. Keep the moniker--you earned it!

Hey, Beautiful! I'm so glad you had a great trip! I love your profile picture... you two look SO DARN HAPPY!!!!

I've come to understand that when I am away from home I will gain weight (sometimes as much as 10 pounds over a weekend), and I am completely convinced it is 'water'. I can eat just like I do at home, and I will come back heavier. I don't know if it's because I don't sleep well, because my body declines it's morning deposits (if you know what I mean) until I'm back in my own bathroom for some reason, because of higher/hidden sodium,because of dehydration (I typically struggle more on vacations to drink the water I'm used to consuming)... I think it all factors in... and the weight goes away just as quickly as it came.

Do you really think it's actual 'weight' you gained? You didn't share your numbers, but could you have really eaten 31,500 calories over and above your BMI and what you needed to eat to fuel all of that walking? Seeing the great choices you made I really have difficulty believing that. I think you should continue to recognise your victory!

I guess you can tell I'm a 'don't focus on what I could have done better on vacation' kind of gal, LOL. I'm also not a 'go hog wild bad girl' kind of gal, either... I'm a real creature of habit... and once I have a habit honed it sort of sticks no matter what. And before this phase of my life I've typically been A LOT more active on vacation than I am in 'real life', so what I eat becomes less of an issue... yeah, perhaps I splurge a bit more than I would at home, but the activity usually compensates.

You do, however, have me thinking about numbers again... I have a heart rate monitor, but I can't seem to figure out how to use so that it's a really useful tool in my life (as may be evidenced by my above assessment of your situation). SIGH. I am SO technologiacally challenged. If you have any advice in this regard, I'd really appreciate it! :)

Thanks everyone! I know this gain is hopefully temporary. I say hopefully because the gain I had over 2 days at Christmas I *thought* was temporary stuck and I am NOT a happy camper. I can only pray Chicago is the same but so far, even after a day of eating right and drinking my water, only a pound has vacated and I'm usually down 2-4 lbs after one day of eating right so I'm feeling a little apprehensive.

Ramona- I don't know what we'd do without our HRM's. I can say that reading the manual several times on how to set it up is helpful. I don't mean that to sound glib but I think all tend to glance over manuals (raising hand) and assume we've retained it all and then get frustrated when it seems it's not working right. It probably took me a month of solid use to feel like I was getting the most out of the HRM. Hang in there and give it some time. I know for me, those online calculators don't come close to being right for someone my weight and while an HRM reading isn't the end all be all, it's much more accurate than guessing. Let me know how it works out!

Thanks, Mrs! I'll keep at it... I got it just after I acquired my brain injury and, for such a long time, trying to figure out stuff like the HRM created HUGE anxiety and frustration for me and I've developed a little avoidance syndrome. I think it's one of those things I have to just suck up and DO.

I know I have to SMART enough to do this... why else would you hang out with me? Ha!

I can so relate to your vacation indulgence and subsequent temporary gain. I did the same thing (much to my horror) and am working hard not to beat myself up. Thanks for helping to put the "temporary" stamp on it. Geesh, after 2 years one would think I should have this eating as a way of life thing down to an art...Jan

I used to be much more rigid on vacations, and then I figured out I wasn't enjoying them as much so I relaxed a little. Or a lot. :) I'm pretty sure I was on or close to maintenance living before I got there with it though.

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate thoughtful readers like you! If your comment doesn't show up right away, check back in a few minutes. I promise it'll get posted. The system can get a little glitchy. (Rude or spammy comments will be deleted. Fair warning.)

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I've lost over 200 lbs the old fashioned way with some more to go. I'm doing this with my hubby (The Mr) and he has lost 190 lbs so far. I wanted to share my journey as well and give people with a lot of weight to lose hope that this can be done without surgery! Passionate about photography, cooking, traveling, DIY and anything 80's.

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